Today a new host institution agreement was signed between the GRÓ Centre for Capacity Development under the auspices of UNESCO and the Agricultural University of Iceland. On this occasion the Chairman of the GRÓ Governing Board, Mr. Jón Karl Ólafsson and the GRÓ Centre Director General, Ms. Bryndís Kjartansdóttir, were welcomed at the premises of GRÓ LRT where the agreement was signed by Mr. Jón Karl Ólafsson and Dr. Ragnheiður I. Þórarinsdóttir, the Rector of the Agricultural University of Iceland.

Today we celebrate the International day for Biological Diversity by participating in UNESCO expert panel on the theme of the day, “Our solutions are in nature”. GRÓ LRT Deputy Director is one of the speakers in the panel, addressing the topic “What are the possible ways/tools to regenerate ecosystems and restore our links to the living?” This UNESCO initiative gives us opportunity to come together in this period of great uncertainty around common values, to share the resources on which we can rely upon to be collectively resilient and to accelerate a transformation towards a more sustainable and fair world.

Dr Sjöfn Vilhelmsdóttir is the new Director of the GRÓ Land Restoration Training Programme as from 1 May 2020.

The GRÓ LRT six-month training programme, scheduled to initiate on 16 March, has been rescheduled for March 2021. Given the serious developments and the many uncertainties regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, we are unfortunately not able to initiate the training later this spring. The candidates invited for the 2020 training will be invited to attend the six-month training in 2021 instead.